


quasi

by surely_silly



Series: Similarities End With You [1]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Universe - Dimension Displacement, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-23
Updated: 2013-01-20
Packaged: 2017-11-05 21:59:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/411443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surely_silly/pseuds/surely_silly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes it was better, sometimes it was worse. Though, every now and then there wasn't too much of a difference.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. shifting colours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING(S): Skewed information about White Martians, Young Justice in general, and implied torture/idk/something.
> 
> I'm on a huge Young Justice binge right now, but ideas and critiques are welcome.
> 
> I'm not really sure, but I think the main idea was that a good bit of time before before M'gann could even think of stowing away to Earth, a black hole appeared or something and slowly started eating/swallowing planets; unfortunately, Earth was one of the first to go before Mars itself along with some others. Evacuations were possible for Mars and some of the other planets that were sucked up, but tension was high between White and Green Martians, and somebody thought it would be a good idea to enslave them or something.
> 
> This was all thought up after I wrote this and I used mostly what I knew.
> 
> Which wasn't a lot.

1.

The humans screamed and ran as soon as she touched down on the pavement. The concrete cracked under her weight from her short fall, and she roared in surprise as bullets ricocheted off her skin; pinching it where it had healed into scars. She swiped her claws at the humans in blue with shiny badges, and they scattered as she flipped a car end over end, and into a building.

They screamed, screamed, and screamed. The tiny sacks of flesh in blue yelled at one another; barking orders and yelping as they dodged her claws by the skin of their teeth, asking where the  _hell_ were the superheros?

She screamed in pain as their questions were answered, the pinpoint lasers that dug into her back belonging to a human that flew and wore a black shirt with a red design on it.

* * *

2.

She dug her six digits into the ground, and hissed as she was shoved down lower by a wall of green. Having raged at them until her throat was sore and her strength all but gone, she didn't notice the green martians that flew in from the east.

* * *

3.

**" _What are you doing here, White Martain?"_**

She started, and crooned as the question invaded her thoughts. The thought that there could be green martians here, wherever here was, hadn't crossed her mind.

 **_"What are you doing_ _here?_ ** **_"_ **

She crooned again, pushing against the ground before falling limp to cradle her head.  ** _"I'm sorry, I'm sorry; please don't hurt me, please, please, please..."_**

The pressure on her hunched back lifted, but she continued to shiver.

* * *

4.

**_"M'gann... M'orrz."_ **

The looks of complete bafflement, and narrowed eyes only sent her into another shivering mess.

* * *

5.

The green martian moved closer, and M'gann skittered backwards. Her namesake in this dimension was a green martian. She couldn't trust green martians. They lied, and lied, and lied.  ** _"Go a-away!"_** she roared, the mental link connecting to all the minds in the room in her fear.

While the humans winced, the green martian took another step forward before her form rippled.

Everything seemed to slow to a stop before M'gann realized she'd racked her claws over the green—or was it really white and not green?—martian's face.

* * *

6.

Her claws dug ruthlessly into her uppers arms, and M'gann leaned back against the cool wall. She didn't want to go back home, to her Mars. Here, as she had been told, it was much different.

So very different.

* * *

7.

With a snarl, she flipped the plate of food over, and settled back into the mound of pillows that were given to her to lay on. Her stomach ached at the waste of food, but she just growled and burrowed her head in her arms.

* * *

8.

M'gann thought the human looked funny, but otherwise didn't comment. She curled tighter in her mound of pillows and hissed at the human in black.

"Eat," he said, a steaming plate of food held in his hand.

 ** _"No,"_** she snapped, and panted from exhaustion as she used her meager telekinesis skills to make him drop the plate a moment later.

* * *

9.

With a roar, she flung the red-haired human aside and into the slightly shorter dark-haired human before scrambling down the hallway, claws finding minimal purchase on the slick floor.

She let out a yelp when there was a loud screech and she was forced against the wall. M'gann fell limply to the ground, dazed, as the blonde and black human stepped closer. Growling, she forced her mind onto the human and watched as the female crumpled a moment later.

Lurching to her feet, she continued down the hall.

She was half way across the room, and to the zeta beams when the human from when she first arrived appeared in her path with his arms crossed. M'gann growled and feinted a swipe.  ** _"M-Move."_**

"No," was his short retort before his eyes seemed to soften." You... You aren't very quiet in your sleep."

It was then that she noticed how haggard he looked; how haggard they all had looked, dark circles around their eyes.

M'gann raised her hands and brought them down right in front of the male. The floor groaned under the force, but held, and she screamed.

* * *

10.

The green hand dropped her gently in front of the the metal frame that was the portal. It wasn't on yet, it wouldn't be for another five minutes, and she took a couple steps backwards only to bump into the re-imagined green hand.

 _ **"I don't want to go,"**  _she told the room, falling into a crouch against the wall.  ** _"I don't want to go back. Please, don't make me go back, please. I'm sorry about the food I wasted, I won't waste it again, honest; I'm sorry, I'm sorry, don't make me go back."_**

The funny looking one stepped forward, the one who she learned was named Batman. "You're not going back alone; me and a couple others are going to see that you are taken in by the Justice League of your dimension."

M'gann couldn't help it when tears began to trail down her face as the portal hummed to life.

 ** _"E-Earth's gone; its... its been g-gone for a l-long time_**   _ **now,"**  _she whispered, hunching forward.  ** _"The heroes... a-are gone t-too."_**

It took two leaps, and then she was through the portal.

 


	2. clear skies

.

.

.

.

1.

At first glance, the Robin seemed practically the same. He had the same creepy cackle, could vanish without a word; hack his way through the Internet, and acted just about exactly how their Robin would.

It was a bit concerning, however, how he'd cartwheel around at random times and seem to disappear just as or right before the Flash would enter the room.

There was also the slightly, unhealthy distance he stayed away from Batman. It was slight, and most wouldn't notice, but it was there if one looked hard enough.

* * *

2.

Wally squirmed and slid the barest bit to the side.

He didn't really like this Robin. He seemed to almost... cling to him. If it wasn't the seat next to him, it was the spot to stand next to him. The speedster had liked him in the beginning for the most part; he was Robin no matter which dimension he was from, but the little irregularities were getting to him.

It was only thanks to the fact he didn't want to hurt the dimension-hopper's feelings that he didn't shove him off the couch and make a run for it as he  _slid the barest bit to the side_ too.

* * *

3.

It was Kaldur that gave him the best bit of advice when he confided in him.

_"Maybe he has a closer relationship to you in his universe; you might be extremely close brothers, or one of you may have saved the other's life. It would be best if you asked him about it."_

Wally couldn't quite work up the courage to ask him anything, so he just started to pay closer attention to what the Robin did.

* * *

4.

Flash's nephew wished he wasn't right.

He did  _cling._

* * *

5.

_It will only take about a week more to get him home,_  they said.

_He'll be gone soon enough,_  they said.

_We know what you mean,_ they said.

_Don't worry about it,_ they said.

* * *

6.

Wally couldn't help but worry about it.

Apparently, though, he worried so much about it, the Flash grew concerned and wouldn't leave him alone when he was around.

Not that he wasn't secretly relieved.

* * *

7.

How he ended upside down with some nameless thugs circling him like vultures was beyond him.

Head throbbing, he wrinkled his nose and looked up to the rope encircled around his ankle. Wally let his head flop back down as he groaned. He nearly yelled in frustration when a familiar cackle echoed down the alleyway.

He'd have never lived it down anyway, but why couldn't anyone  _else_ save him?

* * *

8.

It was when a certain appendage brushed somewhere it really  _shouldn't_ have, and when said certain appendage kept coming into contact with some of Wally's limbs, that a thought trickled in and trampled him underfoot.

The speedster stumbled to a halt and his jaw dropped as his eyes widened.

"Something wrong KF?" asked his Robin; his Robin because his leg was in a cast and was on crutches, and he wasn't the  _other_ Robin who... who...

Exhaling, Wally closed his eyes and shut his mouth.

"Not feeling the aster, huh?"

* * *

9.

"We'll be able to put in the coordinates for your dimension in about an hour," said Batman. The other Robin seemed to nod stiffly and Wally resisted the urge to fist pump.

He was forced to rethink what he thought he saw a moment later.

"I don't want to leave, so I'm not," he said, and so-matter-of-factly even the young speedster almost didn't want to protest when a quick glance was given in his direction.

Wally gawked when Batman glanced between him and the Robin-that-should-be-going-back-to-his-dimension-in-an-hour-but-was-saying-he-wouldn't with a hard look.

Batman then leveled his cowl covered gaze onto the rebelling Robin and let out a rare sigh.

"He's not him."

It's then that Wally remembered that Batman knew  _everything._

* * *

10.

The hug is awkward and completely one-sided, but Wally hugged him back because even if he wasn't his Robin, he was still a Robin and he wasn't that cruel. Someone cleared their throat when the hug took a few seconds longer than it should have, and he could feel how much the Robin didn't want to let go.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and Wally wasn't sure who he was apologizing to; to him, or the Kid Flash from his dimension.

* * *

11.

He left on a high note, though, by copping a feel—effectively ruining the moment—and leaping into the portal with a cackle.

Face as red as his hair, Wally turned around to face the shocked faces that were his team.

"What?" he asked, his voice an octave higher than he would have liked.

He was gone within five seconds when his Robin burst out into uncontrollable laughter.


	3. clear skies

.

.

.

.

1.

It was when he heard the familiar cackle that Kaldur realized something was probably amiss. It had the usual eerie flair, but it sounded different. He blocked Kid Flash's punch, and sweeped the speedster's feet out from under him. He mused on it a second more before KF was back on his feet.

Only when a canister dropped from the ceiling, cracking the speedster over the head, and spilling out a cloud of gas, did he realized it had sounded quite deranged.

* * *

2.

Kaldur realized he didn't laugh nearly enough, and decided that he didn't was _funny_. He could hear the others laughing, and then he remembered KF being knocked over the head; he laughed harder, and rolled over onto his stomach before straining to keep his eyes open and look around.

Everything was so  _goddamn funny,_ and he started into another peel of laughter as he found himself looking up at Robin. At least, he thought it was Robin. He'd never seen him without his mask, and his wide blue eyes made it hard to make sure it was him, but he was pretty sure it was him.

The tattered Robin suit gave it away, but still.

He snorted, and squinted as tears leaked down his face while a set of razor-sharp white teeth appeared above him. His face looked funny, though, so he laughed, and laughed, and laughed; the red that was smeared from ear to ear against the stark white was hilarious, he found, along with the crowbar in the Boy Wonder's left hand.

Kaldur gave an ugly bark of laughter as it swung down.

* * *

3.

Nothing hurt, but he knew something should have, if not everything. He could hardly giggle and gasp in amusement.

The laughter of his friends slowly died down to snickers and gasps, one by one, and Aqualad was finding it increasingly hard to breath.

* * *

4.

_**Recognize: Batman, ##** _

There was a strangled bark of laughter. _  
_

_"Hello Bru_ — _"_

Kaldur could feel the impact's vibrations even from where he was.

* * *

4.

He wasn't supposed to be out of bed, but Kaldur had to see him.

He wanted to know why; why he'd beaten them all almost to death in turn; why his face was uncovered; why his familiar cackle sounded crazed and insane, instead of eerie and unsettling; why his face was smeared in white and red; why he leered with wide eyes, body tilted to the side with his head as far as he could.

Kaldur wanted to know why.

Wanted to know why he'd ever turn to the Joker.

* * *

5.

The Robin bared his teeth in a sharp grin, and Kaldur could only wince.

"Hul-lo, Batsy-Bat, fine weather today, hm? Perfect for a blood bath, yes?" he sing-songed, shoulders shaking just a little at some twisted inside joke. "Not feeling the aster, you are not; I can tell, I wonder why that wo~uld be."

"Today, you beat every member of Young justice, save Robin of this dimension, to within an inch of their lives; I would like to know why."

He leaned forward at that. "Oh? You would, would you? Well, sorry to disappoint, but I just wanted to. S'was fun."

"Fun."

He leaned back in his chair, and whistled, ivory teeth for all to see. "Oh, yes. Much fun, indeed. Just like it was to beat ickle Timmy to death, and smother baby Damian."


	4. illiusionary shadow

1.

She exhaled a shaky breath, and hugged herself. Her red-stained fangs poked ruthlessly into her lips as she took a couple steps back, a strangled noise working its way up her throat.

"I'm sorry, I'm so  _sorry_ ," she rasped, the thins lines of blood etched into her arms slowing to a stop. They stung with all the force of a raging bee swarm, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.

She deserved it and more.

Much more.

She could feel the glare and hidden emotions rafting from behind Robin's mask. Batarangs were plenty in his hands as he stood over Kid flash, and she flinched away when she noticed how his  _blood was racing and boiling and so warm and so sweet_ _..._

Her own blood felt like sludge and acid as it bubbled up into her mouth. Her hand clentched, tightening the muscles in the arm gripped by her teeth, and more blood worked its way into her mouth.

" _Get away from me!"_  she choked. 

* * *

2.

"Artemis."

It sounded less like the question she knew it was, but that was a name she hadn't been called in a long time.

* * *

3.

The scraggly blonde buried her head into her arms, sobs rocking her body. "I'm sorry! I-I was h-hungry, and I didn't know where I was, a-and I was s-scared, a-and, a-and..." she hiccuped, pulling her arms tighter and closer.

"How were you... changed?"

Her body shuddered. "I-I... I don't  _r-remember_."

* * *

4.

Everyone stepped on eggshells around her, not that she saw any of them often. She woke with the dying rays of sunlight, so most of her days didn't involve any of them anyway.

Then again, there was Artemis.

She wasn't 'Artemis' anymore, would never be again, and she told them all to call her anything but  _that_. For all that it was worth, she considered herself nameless, but she wasn't to Green Arrow's apprentice.

It was clear to see in Artemis' eyes.

 _Monster_ , they snarled.

Scratching idly at the door, she couldn't help but agree.

* * *

5.

The bags of  _disgustingly cold—lacking the life; lacking the warmth that she craved—_ blood just were not cutting it anymore.

With a snarl, she ripped the bag open. The blood splashed down the front of her shirt, pants, coated the bottom of her mouth, and stained her hands.

* * *

6.

It took a couple of tries, and more patience than she had, but she worked out a batshit insane plan. It'd be a one time thing, and she'd probably be treated worse, but there was only so much she could take.

* * *

7.

It was hard, and uncomfortable, but it only took one leap for her to be able to brace herself up in the blind corner. A grin slipped onto her face as the door to the room—but it wasn't a room, was it? It was a  _cage. A_  cage fit for the beasts and monsters that lurked in the shadows of the night; that preyed on the things that feared said shadows of the night—opened.

Red hair appeared, and she knew she would never deserve his forgiveness.

_"So, Beautiful, today I managed to get you a nice bloody steak, and—"_


	5. clear skies, raging storm

1.

Blinking the spots from his eyes, Dick groaned and sat up. The ground was gritty under his hands and just as dirty as he had hoped it would be; it would mean he was still somewhere familiar; it would mean they weren't being carted away by  _him._

_They._

" Jason!" he gasped.

There was a grunt to his left, and he was rolling over before he could really think about it. White hot pain raced from his shoulder, and everything went spotty for a few moments. "Jay, you okay?" he gasped, as the pain dimmed.

"F-Fuck," came the slow reply.

* * *

2.

Their situation was about as good as it could be. Concussions weren't pretty things, but some bruising here and there, along with a dislocated shoulder wasn't as bad as it could be.

Overall, they were okay for the time being. The sky was cloudy and in its usual shade of pollution, though perhaps a bit lighter, but it wasn't that cloudy, and there was a soft breeze.

They'd have to be hard pressed to ask for a day any better, injuries included.

Like, hypothetically speaking, if they walked into one of their many safe houses, and didn't.

* * *

3.

It would be just their luck to turn down an alley, walk in on a mugging and possible attempt at rape, and be as battered as they were.

Imagine how relieved Dick felt when the assailant took one look at him, and ran off into the shadows. It was iffy if he'd been able to get rid of the guy without getting hurt more. It wasn't entirely all that appealing to take a tumble across the ground at the moment.

The sobbing woman sat up gingerly, taking care to look herself over, and Dick slowly let Jason slip from his back before going forward to collect her purse and belongings that were dropped, and scattered in places. He fumbled with a couple of things, and he could hear Jason snorting in his direction.

"Are you okay?" he asked, helping her to her feet, and handing back her purse. "He didn't hurt you or anything did he? I'll help you to the hospital if you want...?"

She was still trembling as she took her bag back. Wiping a hand around her eyes, she looked up to him. "I-I would a-app—" she cut herself off, and Dick could only blink stupidly as her muddled brown eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

* * *

4.

" _Ow."_

Dick could only wince, and step after the terrified woman slowly as she scrambled up from her fall across Jason's outstretched legs. "Erm, I'm only trying to help yo—"

The young woman screamed again. " _Get away from me! Help! Somebody!"_

He only had a moment to wonder why the woman would scream for help in this part of Gotham, when a shadow slid across the moonlit alley, and he froze.

* * *

5.

Jason was heavy against his back as he managed to duck neatly, but noisily, through a window, and disappear into a decrepit maze of a building. He took a moment, and shifted the boy slightly to get him a better grip on his back.

Dick could only growl in annoyance as he dragged an arm across his forehead, smearing the face paint and makeup.

"We've got to invest in better makeup or something," he breathed. "Maybe masks, they would be so much easier."

He got a low hum in agreement.

* * *

6.

Exhaustion was dogging at Dick's entire being, but he could only disappear for minutes at a time before they had to move again.

It would all be so much easier if  _everything was where it was supposed to be._

Nothing was, and it was proving to be too taxing for Dick to continue. Feeling the breath on his neck slow, he rolled his shoulders, and shifted Jason again. "Gotta stay awake Jay," he panted, pain tingling in his left shoulder.

"'M wanna s-sleep."

"Can't sleep," he informed the younger boy. "We've gotta get in contact with the J—"

A creepy cackle was the only warning he got before batarangs were flying past his ears as he tiredly dodged them. Another came flying, catching him across the cheek, just under his eye, and he stumbled.

He hit the ground on his front with a grunt.

* * *

7.

When he found himself yet to be gutted like a fish, Dick couldn't help but ask why; to ask why he wasn't bleeding to death yet; to ask why they were being tied up instead of being filleted like fish, and dumped somewhere.

The look that the kid sent him was all  _wrong_.

"Joker's recruiting, huh? Seems like the bars a bit low, if you ask me," came the snarky reply before he lowered his voice and ducked closer to his right arm, but Dick heard him anyway. "Guys... this guy is disturbed, heavy on the dis... he thought I was going to  _gut_  him with a jack knife or something."

That's exactly what he had thought was going to happen.

* * *

8.

Dick refused to remove his cheek from the cold metal table. He was going to take his nickname to heart, and also not answer any questions until his were answered first. Letting out a long breath through his nose, he switched cheeks.

"Were you attempting to rape that woman?"

He nearly flipped himself over as he snapped upright. "No!" he blurted out, hands curled and still working on the cuffs keeping him to the chair. "I was trying to help her! I would never do  _that._ "

The caped crusader didn't miss a beat. "Then why did she scream?"

"I. Don't.  _Know,_ " he bit out, and the cuffs fell away.

He got one punch, then another, in before he was flipped, and slammed onto the floor, but Dick was satisfied. The crisscross of scars marring his back had demanded just a bit of revenge, no matter how small.

* * *

9.

He knew they were watching, but, at the moment, he didn't care. Dick enveloped the younger boy in a bone-crushing hug, lifted him off the ground, and turned a circle. "Thank the gods, you're okay Jay," he mumbled into the boy's thin shoulder.

Jason wriggled and squirmed in his hold, bandages tight around his head. "Ow! Leggo! Fuck, your hugs hurt, Dick!"

It took five seconds for them to realize Jason's mistake.

* * *

10.

"So... you're me?"

Dick looked the boy over. The kid had forgo-ed the mask, and he knew he was looking at himself years younger. Taking the rag, he wiped it over his face, and scrubbed just a bit before pulling it away. "Yeah, I'd say so," he said, giving the kid a cheeky grin.

Familiar blue eyes narrowed just a bit, and he opened his mouth, no doubt to ask just how flip-flopped was everything really between here and there. However, Batman cut him off with a look before he could even start. "And who's this?" he asked instead, looking at a clean-faced Jason.

Jason scowled as Dick ruffled his hair.

"This is Jason, we're... we're brothers."


	6. driven chaos

1.

Lower half of his face saturated in blood, Roy bared his teeth, and braced himself against the wall. There was no way he'd go out like this, no way in _hell._  He had to get home anyway; had to get back; had to make sure that Lian would get fed.

The humans advanced, and he hissed.

* * *

2.

" _Roy?_ "

Now he understood why he wasn't a pile of ash, wooden stake through his chest, or decapitated. They thought they knew him. Fuck, they probably did, but he sure as hell didn't know  _them_. He had to get back, so, for now, he knew them; knew them with all the clarity of an amnesiac.

He licked his lips, ivory fangs catching a bit of light. "Who's asking?" he said, at length.

* * *

3.

It took every drop of will power he had to keep himself from jumping any of them; to choke down the disgusting bags of blood; to act interested in relearning who they were, who they all were; to relearn who he was, used to be.

He supposed it didn't hurt to look, it made them uncomfortable, but  _goddamn he was starving._

* * *

4.

They wanted to find a cure for him.

Roy stifled a laugh, panic mixing with hysteria and anxiety as he knew they could if they tried; if they tried hard enough.

* * *

5.

Roy stared hungrily at the zeta beams.

If he could get out, he'd be able to feed, and go home; home to Lian.

He startled so badly at the hand that dropped onto his shoulder, he was already flipping the familiar looking man head over heels, and slamming him into the floor before his mind caught up with him.

* * *

6.

"Clone," he drawled, looking the archer over and scrutinizing everything about him. "You're taller than me."

The clone's face tightened. "Well, it's nice to have the real Roy Harper back."

* * *

7.

Someone was always prowling around late into the night to watch him. The zeta beams were locked, but they didn't know all there was to his kind. Angles and movements were easy to adjust, he just had to catch his nightly guard.

Roy took a deep breath from his position up in the rafters. A dark shadow wandered slowly around the room, and he shifted.

"Dude... where is he... I told Rob I wasn't cut out for this..."

Scratching idly at his head, the dark figure looked up, and Roy lunged.


	7. driven chaos

1.

Saliva slipped from his mouth as he snarled and bared his teeth at the haggard man. The little girl cowered under him, sobbing. Growling louder, the man stumbled backwards, the knife limp in his hand. Roy took one step forward, snarling even louder, and the man bolted back the way he came.

His dirty red fur settled as he turned to nose the child. She hiccuped, and he whined. He stared back into her wet brown eyes, and nudged her hand.

* * *

2.

_"What the hell?"_

Immediately, Roy was on his feet, teeth bared and fur bristling. The girl startled from her doze, and squeaked as she was left to tumbled off his raised side.

* * *

3.

The lean werewolf paced in a tight circle around the little girl before allowing himself to be tugged down, and be given the job of a pillow. Roy flicked an ear, and growled as the door slid open.

The dark form that entered smelled of darkness and shadows, not something he wanted around no matter how familiar it smelled. The shorter boy, and white male that followed him in were met with the same treatment.

* * *

4.

He snarled, and batted at the slightly smaller male as he sidled closer. The little girl clung tighter to his side, and he pulled her closer with one large fore-paw. The male's grunts and whines fell on deaf ears as he scooted back, and braced himself back against the wall, pushing himself up onto his hunches.

Roy pulled the little girl up to his chest as he leaned back, hugging her to him.

"He can't understand Wolf," stated the boy.

The older man narrowed his eyes, and slowly took a couple steps forward. Roy growled, but otherwise didn't move.

"Can you understand me?" he asked.

The words were rough and garbled, but he manged a harsh, "Furgrk off."

* * *

5.

"Rgroy," he growled, shuffling the child closer to him. A thought dusted itself off after a moment, and he added, "Lian, mine," with a quick nuzzle to the little girl.

She squealed, and latched on the fur on either side of his face.

* * *

6.

The dark-haired boy took a couple of steps closer, and Roy let him without a warning. He smelled familiar, but not, so as long as he didn't do anything stupid, the werewolf would let him be.

The human nearly lost his hand when it crossed in front of his muzzle to get at his Lian.

* * *

7.

_"He is extremely attached to the little girl."_

_"She can't stay with him, she needs to taken back to her family."_

_"Yes, but to get her away from him without causing either harm will be hard."_

* * *

8.

Roy growled under his breath, and his ears angled forward before relaxing.

The fur along his spine, however, bristled. They wanted to take his Lian away. He wouldn't let them, they had no right to, she was his and he was hers. The first one to get within five feet would learn the hard way, a few limbs less or worse.

* * *

9.

_"... no... leggo... me..."_

_"Shhh... we'll... home..."_

_"No go..."_

Everything was heavy and blurry, but Roy flopped his head over, tongue tasting the floor. Blobs of different colors were retreating, one holding something smaller, a bit brighter than the rest. He yawned, and his eyes drooped.

_"Daddy!"_

That's all it took to blow away the quiet haze.


	8. driven chaos, raging storm

1.

Everything dissolved into spots of color as he groaned along with the bent metal curved around him. There was a muffled yell and frantic shuffling, but his whole body ached. Something jerked, and the car jerked with it. He could hear people screaming, one voice much closer and harsher.

His mangy tail gave an impulsive flop, and something yelped as it was knocked over.

Twin sharp somethings pinched into his side, finding weak purchase past his fur, and every nerve was set on fire as electricity raced through his body. Howling in pain, he snapped into action. The two prongs were wrenched from his side as he scrambled to his feet, one massive red paw already moving.

* * *

2.

He growled, and rammed his aching shoulder once more into the bars. Teeth bared, saliva flew from his mouth as he shoved his muzzle between the metal rods to snap at the air.

The humans in blue skittered well out of reach, but the newcomers only stepped closer. The one in red, orange, and yellow was less willing, however, the green one was much more bold and stepped just out of reach.

**_"Who are you? Why are you_ _here?"_ **

Green eyes wide at the mental intrusion, he flung himself at the bars with renewed rigor. Striking with one clawed paw through the bars, he just missed the green being, human intellect shoved behind primal instinct.

* * *

3.

He pressed himself against the bars, and howled as a black mass of fur came hurtling down from atop a building. The human in warm colors disappeared just as the familiar shape landed where he was a moment before, shoving the concrete down and creating a small crater.

Wild red eyes flashed in his direction, and the splash of white across the black alpha's face was a sight for sore eyes.

Whining, he shuffled his feet. There was a loud snarl, and then claws were being slashed across the bars.

* * *

4.

"Release Yor," Nosaj growled, the human words rough and short, the squirming human was gasping and not quite crying under his claws," or I crush this human."

The two powered beings exchanged looks.

Yor bared his teeth.

* * *

5.

Pressing himself closer to Nosaj, Yor snarled.

The six advanced in a circle around them. Panic was starting to heat his fur as Nosaj made no move, threatening or otherwise, to ward them away. His red eyes were focused on the smallest of the six.

Baring yellow teeth, Yor pushed into the alpah shoulder slightly with his own.

"Drahcir?" came the breathless question after a moment. Sadness, hope, and despair were thick in the huge male's voice. "Richard?" he tried again, the last syllable cracking with his voice.

* * *

6.

"I am Nosaj, this is Yor," he rumbled, red eyes glittering as he angled his ears to Yor beside him. "We are meaning no harm, we wish to go home in peace."

_("Yor... Yor... Yor...?")_

Scratching at a flea behind his left ear, Yor licked his jowls, and glanced around at the assortment of humans and not-humans through lidded eyes. The youngest youngling stared back at him as he caught his gaze, his lips mouthing something too quiet even for his twitching ears to hear.

_("Yor... Ory... Yor... Yor... Yor... Roy...?")_

A bit of stiffness slipped from his shoulders as he felt his tail become intertwined with Nosaj's.

"That will be problematic. You both attac—"

" _Roy?_ " interrupted a small voice.

There was a beat of silence, and everyone looked to the smallest youngling. Nosaj, however, was on his feet in an instant, fur bristling, and lips drawn in a snarl.

Yor was frozen, his green eyes glossy, ears flat to his head; this had... never happened before, everyone knew better than to... to...

Flashes and bits of memories whirled by his mind's eye, and his chest constricted. Wide eyed and gasping, he looked to his leader; to his friend; to his brother, tears gathering at the edges of his eyes.

The alpha's red eyes flashed in the light—full of disappointment, anger, disbelief; full of  _rage—_ as he glanced to Yor before turning back and growling deep in his chest. "You have reminded Yor of his past," he snarled, anger shimmering into his scent. "That is of the greatest insult and offense; you are to be a gift to death!"

No one managed to catch him as he lunged, and Yor watched as Nosaj tore into the youngling.


	9. illiusionary shadow

1.

"Hey babe, whatcha doing?"

M'gann was stiff, and tense under Artemis' arm, and she frowned. The red head turned, politely shrugging of the blonde's arm, confusion clear on her face. "Um, do I know you?"

The dark haired boy off to the side was frowning, and standing close, but didn't say anything. Artemis pouted in his direction. "What? Do you not want your friend to know?"

The two shared a look.

"Erm, know what?" she asked, perplexed.

The blonde had no words. She opened and closed her mouth, hands moving to try and express the words that were failing her. "Er, um, you... me..." she trailed off for a moment before her mouth formed an 'O.'

Artemis smiled, but it was tight with sadness, and resigned. "Forgot again, huh," she sighed.

It only took but a moment for her to lean in.

* * *

2.

"What do you mean I kissed the wrong M'gann?"

The aforementioned girl wasn't even present.

Shaking herself, the blonde narrowed her eyes at the dark figure that looked beyond stupid.

"I'd think I know what my girlfriend looks like or if she had a twin. Next you'll be saying that Richard Grayson doesn't have two dads," she said, rolling her eyes.

The silence was an answer in itself.

* * *

3.

"Um..."

The girl turned an interesting shade of brown as she blushed. Seeing her skin green was something of a novelty experience, and Artemis couldn't help but stare for a moment. "Um, yeah, er, sorry 'bout... y'know, earlier," she grumbled, looking to her ratty shoes.

M'gann cleared her throat, and looked off to the side for a moment. "I-It was alright, no harm done," she smiled.

It was hard for Artemis to smile back.

* * *

4.

"You said something like 'forgot again' earlier, what did you mean by that?"

Artemis blinked owlishly at the boy from before. Swallowing down the bit of sandwich, she sighed. "Look, uh, Superboy was it? You can just forget about it; it isn't important."

He crossed his arms, and she could just tell he wasn't going to just drop it.

"Look," she started," it involves M'gann, so if she asks, I'll talk about it."

* * *

5.

She should have kept her big mouth shut.

"Did he put you up to this?" she grumbled, shooting a glare at Superboy.

M'gann was the picture of innocence as she claimed he didn't. Giving the other four that had tagged along a narrowed look, especially herself of this dimension, she sighed. "Okay, okay, fine. Look, you will just completely forget everything about something every other week or so out of the blue, and a good number of the time it's... it's me you forget."

Artemis grimaced as a stricken look made itself comfy on the green martian's face.

* * *

6.

"So... Dick Grayson has two dads?"

The blonde grumbled. "Yes Dickie, or Robin, or whatever, you have two dads where I'm from."

The kid sputtered, hands raising defensively. "I'm not Richard Grayson," he said evenly after a moment.

"Sure you're not."

They sat in silence for what seemed like enough time to walk around the world once before Robin found the will to ask another question:

"Who's the... other guy?"

* * *

7.

"You and M'gann, huh?"

Artemis nodded, glancing out the corner of her eyes at the hero version of herself.

"Me and M'gann," she agreed.


	10. shifting colours

1.

The Metal died instantly, and she could only murmur a small apology to its crushed frame. Running one hand over the sunken hood, she tapped her three fingers on it softly for it to find peace. Sighing, and crooning a small tune, her form rippled.

Turning, and running clawed fingers over her face, she was met with the horrified stares of the things of legend. She wasn't able to get one word in before the mythical bio-hums had all scattered, screaming their little heads off; screaming for the 'Police,' and the 'Superheros.'

Armored vehicles came screeching up the street as the last bio-hum disappeared, and more bio-humans in black armor came spilling from their bellies. She hadn't found the need to move, and blinked as the mobile Metals growled and grunted in cheer for the little bodies of flesh as they formed a circle around her.

It was a bit concerning when they were barely given any sign of recognition in return, and she reached out to the closest bio-hum.

* * *

2.

As she was shoved further into the ground, her arms pulled behind her back and held together by the powered bio-hum, her mind slowly came up with at least twenty different ideas as to why she was being treated such a way.

However, she was nearly beside herself with worry as the Metal she had landed on was carted away. Do they treat them the same here? she wondered, They seem unable to even have simple communication connections with them.

She tried to crane her neck higher as the Metal was only taken further down the road. The bio-hum growled something at her, but she wasn't paying attention to him; she had noticed the small trail of red that had leaked from the Metal, and she knew that wasn't what they bled.

* * *

3.

_**"What are you doing here White Martian?"** _

She felt as if she couldn't bow quick enough; hands in fists to the ground, knees bent, body hunched over, and face down. Her arms shook under her weight, but she held as bile crept its way up her throat. She swallowed it back as the question was repeated..

 ** _"Biome Explorer, Fourth Class decimal-nine-zero-em, at your service, Ma'am of the Highest Order,"_** she squeaked, and glanced around, startled at the proper use of the correct term for her kind.  ** _"I don't deserve such kindness Ma'am of the Highest Order, decimal-nine-zero is a better term until you can find something more appropriate."_**

* * *

4.

Decimal-nine-zero-em wrung her hands together. She hadn't killed a bio-hum, just a bio-hum's pet. That was something she found easier to swallow, but was she not going to get any punishment for the Metal's death? It was perplexing, and she couldn't believe that they were treated just as things here.

"Decimal-nine-zero-em is kind of a weird name; is everyone called something like that where you're from?" asked the littlest of the bio-hums.

Startled, she fumbled for something respectful to greet the bio-hum with, thinking through many different kinds before settling on one.  ** _"Erm, no sir, it's my_** ** _designation; others who have the same job as me are called decimal something too."_**

He perked at eyebrow at her. "So, what's your name then?"

 ** _"My n-name?"_** she echoed blankly.

"Yeah, your given name?"

She blinked as she fell back onto her hunches. Nobody had ever asked for her given name, only her designation name. It had been stripped of her when she entered the Biome Corps, her new name a series of numbers special to her with one letter.

Her head spun as nothing came to mind, but her numbers and letter.

* * *

5.

She was flopped on her stomach when the elder green martian of the Highest Order offered to find her name for her within the dwellings of her mind. Decimal-nine-zero-em had scrambled into the correct position before all but insisting it would be a waste to spend on her.

There was a new found longing to remember what it was churning in her belly, and it made her want to puke.

Nothing would change to know my given name, she thought darkly, I have a name, and it's sixty-eight digits long.

* * *

6.

It was disorientating, and disarming at the same time to feel the wispy touches of mental fingers brushing carefully through her mind with a fine-toothed comb. She wanted to melt under the soft touch, and reacquaint herself with her breakfast.

Decimal-nine-zero-em shivered as the fingers grabbed a hold of something hidden beneath murky thoughts, and gave a sharp tug. When it came loose, a deafening roar filled her mind, and she shrieked as a wave of black crashed over her conscious thought.

* * *

7.

_"... dimension... back..."_

_"... okay... backlash... loop... okay..."_

_"... her... swirling... commands... repressed memories..."_

_"... M'gann M'orzz... machine..."_

_"... destroyer..."_

* * *

8.

She was there, and then she wasn't.

It was hard to be scared, or frightened, because there was a voice telling her that it'd all be okay; that it'd all be okay soon, very soon, and Decimal-nine-zero-em believed it.

* * *

9.

Biome 0347689, she thought, is a beautiful ecosystem.

Sprawled in the lush grass, she crooned as a Metal loped by. Following it were smaller ones of the same model, and a sense of deja vu swept over her.

It was a sudden wave of pain that brought her claws up to her head. Blood oozed down her face, and she shrieked, digging her nails harder into her skull.

The air disappeared; everything disappeared, and white remained as the elder of the highest order popped into existence. He was worse for wear; Decimal-nine-zero-em slowly took in his multiple gashes and cuts, and bruises and he was cradling one arm and  _oh god she was towering over him._

 ** _"Oh, oh, don't hurt me! I'm sorry elder of the higest order! Please show mercy, I did not mean to tower over you,"_** she gasped, throwing herself forward and next to his feet.  **  
**

When minute or so ticked by, and nothing was said, she looked up.

Alone. She was alone.

* * *

10.

Everything rushed back, tinted red, but laced with pain.

Decimal-nine-zero-em gasped, the sky suddenly her ceiling and the howl and growl of Metals everywhere. The calls of Bio-hums was there too, but muted, garbled, and she couldn't find it in herself to care as a green face filled her vision.

I want to go home, she thought. Home was a relative term; was HQ with all the others; was her single-capacity Coluedern; was a red, barren landscape; was with her... Dah and Munah, and eight other sisters.

She shuddered, pain radiating outward from her chest.

Am I dying? she wondered, I... that'd be nice.

Something stopped, or broke, and then she couldn't see; couldn't—


	11. Chapter 11

1.

They arrive together; a sudden sphere of green ripping in existence with a resounding  _boom_ that echoes throughout the city as it slams down, right into the middle of an intersection. Concrete and road goes flying as passer-by scramble for safety and drivers rear-end themselves into each other in their haste to get away.

The sphere twists and contorts, pulling in every direction, before dissipating into a wave of green, and then there is silence.

Citizens peer from their hiding places, and a few stray forward. They scramble back with yells and shrieks as white claws swipe in their direction from within the settling dust.

**_"S-Stay away from K-Kitty!"_ **

The martian is scrawny and hunched over, and doesn't move as the humans disappear before reappearing in droves of black. Trembling, she curls into herself tighter, the black form cradled beneath her groans and she croons as he moves within her grasp.

A hand finds her face. "Kitten?" he mumbles. A weak purr escapes her in response, the vibrations shaking her entire body for a moment. " _Fuck..._ Where... Where are we?"

Kitten is given no time to think of an answer as he tries to leave her grasp. She lets him, and they both sit up, gingerly in his case and haltingly in hers. They blink as they take in the ring of black surrounding them.

" _Shit._ "

* * *

2.

It's only as Kitten disappears down the street and out of sight does he surrender. He is cuffed, but left to sit next to pieces of displaced road as the tactical teams meander around the edges of the crater. There is a faint  _poom_  as a figure in red comes to a complete stop a few feet away, kicking up dust.

Stray wheezes as the fine spray of dirt travels in his direction, and over him in a dirty cloud.

It takes him a moment to notice the speedster in red is in front of him, glancing him over. Jason sneers at the man, unimpressed. "What'cha want speedster?" he drawls with a slight twitch, fighting the need to wipe his goggle lens clean.

The man looks thoughtful through his mask. "Where'd your martian friend go? Police said it ran off?"

Stray rolls his eyes, and licks his lips, looking skyward. The sky is unbelievably clear, and he doesn't have to pretend as he becomes enamored with it.

The guy gets the hint when Jason doesn't say anything for the next five minutes, and continues his silence even as he's moved to another location.

* * *

3.

She's weak, and sore, and hungry, and scared, and lonely, and she wants Kitty back, but he told her to run, so she ran, and now she's lost and confused. The brightly lit city makes her skin crawl and tingle in it's unfamiliarity; her mind torn asunder by racing and conflicting thoughts only leave her to slink along the back alleys in a daze.

Invisible to the humans, she stumbles upon the end of a violent mugging. It's only when the murderer slips away with the other male human's belongings of sorts does she approach. Its blood is stark even in the shadows, and she knows the human will die for she cannot do anything—or, rather she won't.

Kitten shivers once as the male's sticky gasps fade away before turning back the way she came.

She feels a little better.

* * *

4.

Jason manages to take a bite out of the red head when his goggles and weapons are being stripped from him. He gives the man a feral grin as he leaves, wounded arm clamped tight by a hand.

I wonder if his shots are up-to-date, he muses.

Hands bound behind his back, Stray stretches his legs forward and slips them to his front in one fluid motion. He takes one moment to roll his shoulders and whistle appropriately at the cell he is held in before pulling his earring from his ear and bending it from its curved state. It's apparent the man wasn't very... resourceful; a rookie mistake it is to not take the metal hoops from his lobes, let alone leave him in a cell with bars.

Seconds pass before the obviously only cuffs at hand are shoved under the thin cot, and Jason is slipping himself through the metal poles.

* * *

5.

It can only be some form of luck—good or bad, what did it matter?—that Kitten manages to follow Kitty. She only loses connection with him when the open mind of another catches her attention, and she is ensnared by it and ambles along to its source; hunger and aching pain only fuel her need to find the beacon among the unfamiliarity, it shining brighter than her Kitty.

The two are leaving a building amid a flood of other humans, and Kitten has eyes only for them. A purr rumbles deep in her chest, and the female's eyes find her instantly.

* * *

6.

Jason stalks the halls of the base, an unbearable itch settling behind his eyes the longer he gets turned around. He's almost ready to just slip himself back into his allotted cell when something huge and white and definitely a  _fucking wolf holy shit_ rounds the corner.

They both freeze at the sight of the other.

Stray holds the beast's gaze, just as unblinking and unwavering as it is, his body having fallen completely still.

Minutes tick by.

He loses when a voice starts to announce,  _"Recognize: Miss Martian—"_ and he hisses, and the monstrosity snarls.

* * *

7.

Kitten stiffens as a whiplash of anger and a sliver of fear splashes across her mind; the fellow martian and... thing, startling at the wordless growl that rushes their thoughts. She's up on her hind-legs, senses encompassing the entire mountain when a yell draws her attention to the hallway just off her right.

She's snarling as Kitty comes tumbling out of the hallway, a white beast bowling him over. It takes only two leaps for her to cross the distance and rip the creature away from him, flinging it at the far wall where it twists and lands paws first against it, teeth bared.

The skinny martian shuffles backwards, Kitty pushed behind her legs as she snarls again, teeth flashing. " ** _Stay away from Kitty!_** " she thunders, and the beast yelps as her thoughts bare down on its mind. She pushes  _and pushes and pushes_  until the creature is a whining mess on the floor, urine soaking its hind-legs. _  
_

Kitten can barely feel the sharp poke at her mind until her fellow martian is suddenly in front of her, eyes glowing.

Suddenly her mind is a cage, and small and constricting and she shrieks as a wave of black crashes over her, smell and touch and sight and hearing becoming lost to her in a gaping maw of inky blackness.

* * *

8.

Jason can't help the flash of shame that heated the collar of his shirt.

It's his job to look after Kitten, not the other way around and  _goddammit he will slaughter that damn green martian._

A hiss slips past his lips as his punch is blocked— _fuck_ did he just hit a brick wall?—and the boy's bigger fist slams against his stomach. He goes down, falling hard onto his knees before sideways, choking and sputtering as pain burns his nerve endings and bruised organs.

Stray gasps, and rolls over with a wheeze as his vision clears.

"I-Ill fucking  _kill you!_ " he chokes, eyes dark with rage," I will fucking  _kill_  you!"


End file.
